A Distant Ship Floats on the Horizon
by ApolloGoGo
Summary: A old crush starts to give Finn Balor more attention than he's used to. He takes it as friendly banter but soon learns there is a deeper reason.


A/N: Self indulgence at it's finest. The mystery man is handsome, I promise, he's famous and I'm sure he is Finn Balor approved.

* * *

Fergal was on a spree of playing fast and loose. He knew one day he would get caught up in the Twitter game. He'd make a post, and someone would catch him one day. He stopped caring if someone took notice. He looked through the comments on his latest post. He could feel his excitement rising as he read _"how's it going dude! lemme know if you end up in nyc any time soon!"_ He didn't ignore it but he came up with some excuse as to why he couldn't meet up. Chances were he was always going to make up some excuse and he did. For months he was too busy. He wasn't sure if he wanted them to just give up or if he was scared. He wanted something in the middle, something where there were no hard feelings between the two of them, just the realization they were passing ships.

Over the next couple months there was a liked Tweet here and there. A couple random DMs about a post or just asking about each other's mental health. Nothing ever came of any of it. Fergal liked it that way. There was never talk about that one time they were planning to meet for lunch. There wasn't talk of planning a future meeting. Maybe the realization was there, that they were just both too busy with life. They didn't even exchange phone numbers, they just built their friendship with casual DMs.

Fergal looked for ways to spice up house shows in his utter boredom. He looked down at Twitter, the header, reclined on a couch staring into his fucking soul. He looked up at a clear bottle and back down at the image. The idea of him relaxed in that same position watching, waiting, wanting Fergal to arouse him got the best of Fergal. There was always a certain level of lust on Finn's end, but it never seemed mutual. Still, he couldn't shake his little fantasy. He wasn't sure why in this moment he was so brazen, but the imagine was burned in his brain. He tried a second time, mostly out of self-indulgence, still not rid of the risqué ideas he had in his mind.

He looked at the notifications under it, scrolling the through the likes. He had too many unwanted and unneeded comments under the video. He rolled his eyes and opened the messages. All random items. He opened the last one.

J: Do you need someone to feed you carrots? Hold the camera? Or rub the oil on?

F: lol are you looking for a part time job?

J: If it entails one of those options, yes! My God. I feel like a thirsty bitch right now, but fuck, dude.

F: It's not too much is it? Maybe I should have did something else? Not oil?

J: I think it's fine, you could slather peanut butter on your tits and everyone would get aroused and offering to eat it off, so it really doesn't matter.

Fergal reread the message. It wasn't a suggestion really, but he took it as one. The potential to impress was overwhelming his mental clarity. Anything at this point to get some sort of reaction. He looked at Bayley eating from a jar, surely she wouldn't mind being of assistance.

"Hey Pamela." He smiled.

"Fergie." She nodded.

"Could I borrow your peanut butter and a clean spoon?"

"Uh? I guess?"

He explained to her what his plan was. She looked confused even after the third or forth time he had to explain what his plans were. He wondered if she ever did anything sexy to impress Aaron or just carried on like this. That was a rude thing to think about, but she always seemed so immature when it came to things like this. This was probably the most disgusting thing he was about to do. He needed to psych himself up to do this. He gave it a few minutes before he obsessively checked his Twitter. He wasn't sure what was wrong with him, why he was addicted to the small bit of attention he was getting, but he loved it.

J: I can't believe I have to fight like 700 heterosexual women over one plastic spoonful of peanut butter.

Fergal laughed at the DM. Surely it was just meant in jest, just something funny between friends or whatever they were at this point. It was most certainly not flirting. It wasn't a pick-up line. He looked back down at another DM.

J: I feel terrible sitting here doing what you're probably so tired of people doing.

F: It's a bit different. I actually know who you are and it's lighthearted.

J: Well, don't get me wrong, this is completely fun, and I am partially joking, but don't think I wouldn't eat a whole jar of peanut butter off your fucking abs.

F: Wow.

J: Too honest?

F: I didn't know how to reply.

J: Well, I should get going. We should find a better way to keep in touch and I should keep my perversion to myself before I scare you away.

Fergal closed his eyes. He could easily DM his number but that would seem desperate. He thought about it, maybe that's what was wanted of him, a number. Maybe there was a want to talk on the phone. He couldn't wrap his head around this man wanting anything more than a friendly conversation. He typed out his number three times to make sure it was right. He shouldn't have been this unnerved by an exchange of phone numbers, he was a grown man. His mind went back to the Twitter header and he took a breath.

Fergal sat with his phone sitting on his lap. The vibration shook him a little. He stared down at the message before replying. Nerves were besting him. He knew he had no reason to get nervous. He had no reason to feel anything. This was two friends keeping in touch in a better way.

Jason: Just making sure this is really, Fergie. 😊

Fergie: It is. 😊

Jason: Great! Do you might if I call you later? Maybe around 12? When you're settled in your hotel and all that?

Fergie: Sure. That sounds good.

It didn't sound good. It sounded more like an anxiety attack waiting to happen. It was too much pressure. It shouldn't have been, rationally, he knew this wasn't something he should be this anxious about, it was a phone call. A phone call between him and who he assumed to be a friend. He did his best to get through the night quieting the feelings he had over making a phone call.

At the hotel, he still just watched the clock. He should have never sent the text saying he was settled. He knew he should have been smart and said something came up. He was waiting, on edge, no phone call should have made someone feel like this. He looked down at the Facetime notification. The better part of his brain was saying not to answer, but the perverse part won. He was greeted by a shirtless blue-eyed man with such a casual fucking grin.

"Do you always answer your Facetime calls without a shirt? Or am I just lucky as shit?"

"Lucky." He licked his lips. "To be fair, you're also shirtless."

"You look really fucking good though."

There was a change in the mood. Both of them had very nervous, almost disheartened expressions. Fergal watched a cigarette get lit. Normally it was a turn off, he wasn't sure why, but cigarettes were somehow different than anything Fergal partook in. This though, he didn't mind, it added to the aesthetic. There was something devilishly sexy about a smoking, shirtless, rock star. He watched him suck in the smoke and exhale.

"Sorry, I feel like I keep telling you over and over that your body is attractive and from what I see on social media, that's all anyone fucking does."

"You're right, but, there's more validity in you saying it than sashabanksfan62945 saying it."

"You have a nice face and you're ridiculously kind." He drew in another breath. "I um I'd like to get to know you better."

"Alright. I mean, it be nice to be better friends. We're both fighting for the same things." Fergal nodded.

"I meant that a bit different. Maybe I misread you wrong and I am sorry if I did, like really sorry if this is a bold assumption, I meant more romantically than platonically."

"Oh." Fergal looked shocked.

"You look shocked." Jason laughed. "I'm sorry if I dumped a lot on you."

"I am shocked." Fergal laughed.

"Again, I am really sorry if I misread you, or if this was too much. I just wanted to shoot my shot before I didn't have a chance."

"I tried shooting my shot in 2012." Fergal laughed before taking a breath. "Maybe this is how it was meant to go, we needed to find ourselves a little more before truly finding each other."

"You're right. I thought a lot about you and something always stopped me from reaching out. I think it was that feeling of using you to get over Chris."

"Do you have that feeling now?" Fergal did his best to hide his concern.

"Not even in the slightest."

There was an exchanged relief. Fergal felt it more, that feeling that he wasn't worthy of this attention dissipated more the longer they spoke. He realized the same feelings were felt on both sides. He just wished that they were closer, that they could hold hands, touch, something physical. Fergal needed that reassurance that was a little more than a smile over Facetime. He knew he wasn't going to get that tonight. but he wasn't going to let that damper the fire that was lit. He always saw them as these distant ships, just two people who in passing acknowledge each other, never physically seeing each other. He could feel that changing and he was ready.


End file.
